Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1887-07-08
FARM. DAIRY AND HOUSEHOLD.
GLEANINGS.

The Lancaster( Penn. } Examin-
er of recent date gives details of
great oat swindle whereby two
thousand farmers of the Cumber-
land Valley have beenn victimized
out of 100000. The swindle is
very ingeniously contrived, and
its operation usually extend over
two or three years. 1t began
with the introduction of a new
kind of seed called the Bohemian,
which are offered at the price Of
$40 a bushel. But the victim is, !"
insured" against loss by by "con-
tract in which the swindiler agrees
to purchase certain portion of the
first years crop at Sc bushel. He
A., takes note, however, for TIE origi-
nal purchase. The whole details
of the scheme cannot be given
here; suffice to say, that it ends
as all such fine schemes do, in a
loss to all concerned except the
swindler. The Examiner gives q
doleful picture of the effects of the
fraud practised upon the farmers
of the Cumberland Valley. 1t
has demoralized trade and indus
try, and brought number of
formerly prosperous men to the
verge ofruin. The moral of all this
is, beware of seed swindilers.
On my farm, says Col. Curtis, 1
consider the plough an enemy to
the orchards. 1t has always been
impossibly to plough the orchard
without damaging the trees. There
is always more injury than can be
seen. The trees are always more
or less bruised or manglsd, re-
sulting in decay or they are started
loose and get back in growth.
These injuries may be seen; bat
the breaking and barking of roots
and the whole sale destruction of
the rootlets is unseen murder.
Some argue that trees will bear
better by having the roots reduc-
ed in number, but that is, at best,
only a temporary benefit. 1t
checks the growth to reduce the
feeding capacity of the tree and
this tends to produce or bring
forward the fruit spurs: but it is
better to wait little longer and
have a healthy tree and a longer
area for fruit development. The
destruction of fruit trees, by cult
walton the land, is enormous.
Whole orchards are swept away in
a few years, and the best of them
are made short lived.
For an asparagus beds, says W.
d. Philbrick in the Faumer,
choos a good piece of mellow. deep
loan, free from stones, for when
a tender sprout strikes stone in
its upward growth it will bend to
one side ahd crooked stolk of
worthless asparagus will result.
Prepare the land by ploughing in
a heavy dressing of any manure
that is to be had. Of course fine
manure is the best, but if you can
not get it don't be afraid to use
it coarse, as much as you can
cover with large plough, poking
it into the burrows with a fork; it
is good plan to run a subsoil
plough after the common plough
if the subsoil is not stony or very
hard, but there is no profit in
deep trenching with spade.
1t does not require great
amount of time to raise good sup
ply of tomatoes, both for summer
table use and for canning. Toma-
toes will grow vigorously and pro-
duce well upon any soil suitable
for either corn or potatoes.
When the blossoms begin to show
it is good plan to pinch back The
ends of the main stems, and the
branches, too, may be checked by
nipping off the ends of the shoots
just beyond the last leaf. The
pinching should be continued to
the middle of summer, at least
until the fruit has nearly or quite
completed its growth.
Winter rye may be sown any
time from the first of August to
the last of October according to
the latitude and character of the
season. Barley may be sown in
spring, early in autumn, or late
summer. If to be cured for hay
the spring crop will be the more
valuable. Cut fodder for curing
when in bloom or little before.
Rye should be cnt before blooming
for COWS, for it grows slough ana
lndigestible very rapidly after
coming into bloom.